I Tnink I've Started Drabbling
by lilidelafield
Summary: When I write a drabble, or a double-drabble about Our Men From Uncle, I will post it here.
1. Chapter 1 RUNNING!

In the gathering darkness, Illya ran through the undergrowth, leaping over logs, dodging branches and feeling every single hailstone as though it were a single missile aimed just at him alone. He paused for breath, panting, and glanced around, but all he could see were the woodlands he had run through. He shook his head, his lungs still screaming for more air as he panted. He hadn't run this far or this fast in a long time…and still he suspected that it wouldn't be enough.

Napoleon was going to pay big time for this. He had another eight miles or so to run yet and if he was even ten seconds longer than the target time he had been given, he had been promised a month on Survival Island in punishment. This was Napoleon's doing. Napoleon whom had got himself distracted with some female once too often. Waverly had responded by sending them both down for retesting. If Napoleon's foolishness led to Illya being sent back to Cutter for a month, then his life would not be worth living. Illya would make sure of that. He smiled grimly to himself, took a deep, slightly shaky breath, and started to run again.


	2. Chapter 2 Paperwork!

Illya Kuryakin glared balefully at the tall pile of paperwork sitting on his desk. Napoleon's paperwork. Now he was stuck with his partner's job until Solo got back from his refresher course with Cutter on Survival Island. He silently cursed Napoleon Solo for getting him into this.

He grinned suddenly to himself. Napoleon had been planning to take Lovely Lucy to the theatre Saturday evening. The tickets and dinner reservations had been paid for. Solo had implored him to take her out in his stead.

"Enjoy your holiday with Cutter, Napoleon!" he smiled to himself, picking up his pen.


	3. Chapter 3 A Letter (part one)

Illya barely glanced up as his partner entered their office.

"There's a letter for you on the cabinet." He said, threading a fresh sheet of paper into his typewriter and winding it on. He heard a sharp intake of breath and glanced up. Napoleon was staring at the open letter in his hand as though hypnotized, a look of shock on his face. Alarm bells rang.

"Are you alright, my friend? Can I do anything?"

Wordlessly, Napoleon shook his head and left the room. Illya watched him go, full of concern. Whatever was wrong with Napoleon? What could have happened?

(to be continued)


	4. Chapter 4 A Letter, (Part Two)

Illya found his partner up on the roof, gazing out across the New York skyline. The sun had just started its journey to the horizon, and was sending golden rays reflecting from the many windows.

The two stood silently for almost twenty minutes, watching the sun setting. Finally, Napoleon crumpled the letter that he was still holding.

"Illya, I have to go home. Right now. Will you come?"

Illya's response was immediate, full of concern.

"Of-course I'll come. Need you to ask? Napoleon, what has happened?"

But Napoleon wasn't listening. He was gazing across the city, tears in his eyes..


	5. Chapter 5 A Letter (part three)

Illya sat beside his partner, watching as he drove. Silent, and white-faced. This was not like his partner at all. Finally, two hours into the journey, he spoke up.

"Napoleon...this is worrying me. Will you please talk to me?"

Napoleon let out his breath as though he had been holding it, and belatedly nodded. He pulled swiftly into a lay-by and turned off the engine. For several minutes he sat, staring ahead, before turning slightly in his seat. Illya saw his face was white and drawn.

"Illya…" he said, half reluctantly, his voice cracking. "I've lost Millie. My Millie is dead!"


	6. Chapter 6 A Letter (part four)

Illya racked his brains. He had met all of Napoleon's family, or so he'd believed. Who could Millie be? Napoleon was so upset, it was clear that Millie couldn't possibly be a beloved family pet. He had no brothers or sisters with that name. Somehow though, he felt it would be an intrusion into his friend's grief to ask, so he remained attentive.

"I'm sorry, my friend. I am here for you."

Napoleon nodded, and in pity, Illya watched a fat tear roll down Napoleon's cheek.

"I know you've been there yourself, Illya. Millie was my… Millie was my daughter!"


	7. Chapter 7 A Letter (part five)

Illya stared at his partner, momentarily stunned into silence. Napoleon gave him a hard look, and rubbed the palm of his hand across his face, almost angrily, then banged it against the steering wheel.

"You want me to drive?" Illya asked him. "You've had a terrible shock, and…"

Napoleon rounded on him.

" No I _don't_ want you to drive, Illya! I've lost my little girl, not my…..not my…marb…."

His voice gave out and he turned a pair of wet eyes to his partner.

"Illya. . .how do _you_ deal with this?"

Illya's smile was bittersweet.

"I don't." He whispered.


	8. Chapter 8 A Letter (part six)

Illya held his partner close until Napoleon grew calmer. Finally, wiping his eyes, Napoleon tried to smile. He almost managed it.

"I wish I could be more like you, Illya…" He paused when Illya shook his head.

"No, don't wish to be like me, my friend. Don't even try. It hurts more, and the pain lasts much longer." He smiled slightly. "If you are ready, perhaps we should continue our journey, and you can tell me about your Millie."

This time Napoleon managed to smile back.

"Okay…if you first tell me about your little Dimitry."

"Very well . . ."


	9. Chapter 9 A Letter (part seven)

As he drove, Napoleon glanced sideways at Illya.

"So…?"

"So…Dimitri loved cats, he loved cows…he hated milk! He loved his papa…"

"All little boys love their papas."

Illya shook his head.

"No, he _really_ loved me. He almost never saw me. The KGB were…I could only safely see him two or three times in a year, for just a few minutes. He was just three when he died…I was going to give him my balalaika…"

There was a long pause, then Illya shook his head and smiled sidelong at the tear in his partner's eye.

"Your turn. Tell me something about Millie."

Napoleon heaved a shaky sigh.

"Fifteen years ago, my wife Martha was killed in a car crash. She was eight months pregnant when it happened. I was unconscious for three days. I woke up with a broken arm, broken ankle and concussion, to find my wife dead and my baby daughter delivered by emergency caesarian."

"Who took care of her?"

"Martha's parents. Millie suffered a loss of oxygen for a time, until they managed to… anyway, she had learning difficulties, but she was so loving…she looked so much like Martha…"

His voice broke.

"She was my baby!"


	10. Chapter 10 - A Letter (part eight)

It was a small room, scarcely larger than a box-room, but it was a pretty, girlie room, with pink flowered wallpaper, and bedspread to match. A pile of soft toys sprawled untidily across the bed, and a large poster of Elvis decorated the wall. Illya made to withdraw, to give Napoleon some privacy with his grief, but Napoleon grabbed his arm.

"Please stay, Illya."

"How did she die?" The Russian asked softly. Napoleon picked up a small fluffy pink elephant and held it to his face. A voice behind them made them jump and whip round.

"Daddy!"


	11. Chapter 11 - A Letter (part nine)

A young girl with dark brown hair and green eyes dressed in plaint-splashed overalls stood behind them, her face a mask of terror. Her arms were pinioned behind her and a cocked gun was being held against her left temple.

"Daddy, help me!"

Clearly a THRUSH thug, complete with the THRUSH insignia on his shoulder, the man wore a brutish grin.

"Now I'll get my position back, when I bring in the infamous Napoleon Solo. An' I get the Russian for good measure!"

Napoleon's face remained a blank.

"Who are you, and who is this girl? _She's_ not my daughter!"


	12. Chapter 12 A Ltter (part 10)

The girl's eyes widened in shock, and the Thrushie started to growl angrily. To his fury, Napoleon gave a laugh.

"If that was my daughter, she would know how to deal with you!"

The girl looked terrified, but she gave a slight nod, raised her right boot and stamped on her assailant's right ankle as hard as she could, and as his powerful grip on her loosened, she twisted and dropped to the ground. Illya felled him with a knockout punch. The gun went off. Blood spattered the toy elephant. The girl dropped to her knees.

"Daddy! Daddy!" she screamed.


	13. Chapter 13 A Letter (part eleven)

Napoleon rubbed his head and sat up. He hugged the girl.

"It's alright Carrie, it's only a scratch."

He opened his communicator and called UNCLE for assistance, then looked up as his partner finished tying up their prisoner.

"Illya, we need to find Tom and Elsie…Carrie, where are your grandparents? Are they alright?"

"Tied up in the garage, daddy. They're okay."

Illya touched Napoleon's shoulder.

"I'll go."

Left behind, Carrie's eyes filled with tears, and she started to weep.

"I've lost Millie, daddy. My twin sister, and I've lost her."

Napoleon wrapped her in his arms, and they both wept.


	14. Chapter 14 A Letter (part 12)

Napoleon, his surviving daughter Carrie and her grandparents stood watching the coffin lowering slowly into the grave. Carrie dropped a single white rose onto the lid of the coffin, tears on her cheeks. Tom and Elsie led her away to wait by the car. Illya moved in beside Napoleon, fighting memories of his own. Napoleon's shoulders were shaking, but he was making no sound.

"We'll destroy THRUSH one day, my friend." Illya said softly. "I swear we'll make them pay for killing Millie."

"Millicent Rose Solo, fifteen years old, killed by THRUSH." He raised red eyes to Illya.

"This is not over!"


	15. Chapter 15 Tricked!

"Are you sure about this Napoleon?" Illya was clearly unsure. Napoleon grinned impishly.

"Absolutely, nothing to worry about. I come here all the time. It's a great way to relax after a heavy workout."

"Napoleon, I'd sooner shower. What is so great about a sauna? I dislike hot temperatures."

Napoleon opened a door and shoved his partner through.

"Through that other door there. Trust me, Illya. Have I ever steered you wrong?"

"Frequently!" Illya stepped through the door. He was met with a bevy of elderly ladies with easels. The teacher steered him to a chair.

"Welcome to our life-drawing class!"


	16. Chapter 16 LOST

As the sun set, red and gold streaking out across the sky, two men, footsore and weary, were tramping up a hill, tripping over tree roots and hillocks in the gathering darkness.

"Napoleon, I thought you said this was a shortcut?"

"So did I. I think we're lost."

Illya rolled his eyes.

"Napoleon, if we keep stumbling on in the dark we will get even more lost. Why do we not find somewhere sheltered and wait for the sun to return?"

"What if THRUSH find us?"

"Even _we_ do not know where we are, how will anyone else find us?"


	17. Chapter 17 - Hung Over!

"Uhhhhh!"

Illya glanced up.

"What is the matter my friend? Too much to drink last night?"

"Don't ever give me that awful gut-rot of yours again, Illya! In future, I'll stick to my own poison. How can you drink so much vodka?"

"I could ask you the same question. Perhaps we should agree to differ."

"Well, while we're at it, how about turning down the volume on that blasted typewriter? It's going through my head like a red-hot poker!"

Illya shrugged and smiled.

"It has no volume control Napoleon. Perhaps you would prefer to type up your report yourself?"


	18. Chapter 18 - Such A Waste!

"Look out!"

Napoleon ducked instinctively at Illya's shout, and the shot whizzed over his head and smashed into the car window. He fired back and the gunman collapsed. Napoleon blanched at the sight of his partner on the road beside the car, a large sticky red stain spreading across the front of his shirt.

"Illya!"

He knelt beside him. Illya's eyes were closed, and his breathing was rapid.

"Illya, Stay with me!"

Illya opened his eyes, groaned and sat up.

"Mrs. Waverly's homemade strawberry jam! What a waste! Do you think if I ask her nicely she'll give me another?"


End file.
